Creating a fabulous future

How would you like the future to be? Is this no more than a fuzzy, vaguely formed idea in your mind? Or have you sat down and thought about it in great detail? Do you have a clear, strong picture in your mind of what you truly desire to manifest for yourself - a dynamic image that inspires and drives you forward? If you don't, then now's the time to do something about it!



Whether you realise it or not, every thought that you have is contributing to creating your reality. If you want to know what today will be like, think back to what your thoughts were yesterday. Were you thinking about what you do want to bring into your life, or were you dwelling on all the things you don't want in your life? Simply by changing the focus of your thoughts today, you change your future - and by doing so, you can bring into your life what you truly wish to experience. That's why it's vital to be aware of what's going on in your head and to feed your mind with positive thoughts and images.

The saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" is absolutely true. Images speak directly to your subconscious mind and communicate entire concepts instantaneously. Today, I will show you how to create a powerful visual representation of the fabulous future of your dreams, using the simple process of collaging - this is what's known as a "vision seed map". Don't worry, you don't need to be an artist to make a collage! Nor do you need to go out and buy a bunch of expensive art supplies. It's a fun and easy process, and you can use whatever materials you already have lying around the house.

Here's what you'll need...
Before you begin, gather together all the materials you'll need:
- paper or pasteboard to stick your pictures onto
- some old magazines (you'll need to feel comfortable tearing pictures out of these)
- photos, coloured paper, kids' paintings, wrapping paper, fabric or anything else that appeals to you
- scissors and glue (a glue stick is ideal)
- some space to spread out (such as a table, desk or on the floor).

And here's what to do...
Begin by taking a moment to tune into yourself and let go of any preconceived limitations or constraints. Give yourself permission to be playful and use your imagination. I find that collaging is an intuitive process that comes together organically, so there's no need to think ahead to what the finished piece is going to be - the joy of it is in discovering this as you go along! To get yourself in the right frame of mind, ask yourself: What is the most fabulous future I can possibly imagine? How does this look and feel? Where am I and what am I doing, leading my most fabulous life?

Now go through your magazines (or, if you don't have any to hand, you can trawl through and print out images from the internet, eg using Google Image Search) and simply tear out whatever pictures appeal to you. Don't judge how or why, just gather images. When you've got lots of pictures to choose from, spread them out around you and pull out those that really speak strongly to you in some way. Begin to arrange and rearrange these on the page before you (ie your sheet of paper or pasteboard) and allow your collage to take shape. If you like, trim your pictures down and play with moving them around on the page, layering images over one another - this can dramatically increase the power of your collage.

Keep doing this until your collage feels "finished", at which point you're ready to stick the images down using your glue stick. Don't rush yourself or the process - if it doesn't feel quite "right" to you, simply leave the pictures there on the page (without having stuck them down) and walk away from it for a while, then come back to it with fresh eyes. Just make sure you're not judging yourself - allow whatever comes out to be "perfect" exactly as it is. And hey, if you feel later that you want to make another one for yourself, then you can do so!

It doesn't matter whether it's rough or polished, after having been through this process your collage will inspire you with positive energy whenever you look at it. Pin it up somewhere prominent where you'll see it every day (or you can even scan it and print out a pocket-sized version that you can get laminated and carry with you). What you're telling your subconscious mind now, loud and clear, is that this is the fabulous future I wish to create for myself - so go out and make it happen!

PS: If you haven't already done so, I invite you to subscribe to my free monthly ezine, Soul-full Connections. The January 2007 issue focuses on the theme of "a new year, a new you" and is packed with ideas to help you get off to a great start this year, including how to tune in and harness the energy of the new year, and how to create and use affirmations to support all of your positive endeavours. Plus, as a special gift with your subscription, you will receive a free copy of my ebook, Living in Bliss: 10 secrets of a soul-full life, with inspiring and practical strategies for building and sustaining a soul-full life. Please enjoy with my blessings...